Introduction: The megalodon, Carcharodon or Carcharocles megalodon, is an extinct mega toothed shark that existed in prehistoric times, approximately 25 to 1.5 million years ago. The megalodon is among the largest and most powerful macro-predatory fishes in vertebrate history. The megalodon is principally known from partially preserved skeletal remains, which indicate a shark of gigantic proportions — approaching a length of around 20.3 metres. Based on significant research, scientists have been able to conclude that the megalodon was a super-predator and preyed upon large marine animals.
Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Lamniformes Family: Disputed - Lamnidae or Otodontidae Genus: Disputed - Carcharodon or Carcharocles Species: C. megalodon Binomial Name: Disputed - Carcharodon megalodon or Carcharocles megalodon
Habitat: The megalodon was a pelagic fish that predominantly inhabited temperate and warm water environments. Back then it has been assumed that waters were generally warmer, therefore the megalodon took residence in all oceans around the world. Smaller kinds of this species were able to lurk in swampy coastal lagoons and shallow coastal waters, although an adult would be just too big and would be restricted to greater depths of the ocean.
Eating Habits: The megalodon was presumed to be an extremely smart species and had it not been for the excessive cooling stages of the world, it would not have become extinct. The megalodon has been found to have lurked back and trailed its prey, before swimming underneath it and striking upwards, taking it whole. Of course this only worked on smaller preys, but as stated before the megalodon hunted extremely large marine animals. Against larger targets the megalodon would use its sheer power and extraordinary jaw strength and would then ram the opponent and sink its teeth into it. Unlike the great white the megalodon would target the tough bony areas that great whites tried to avoid. By targeting these areas it could then crush the bones and wipe out key organs and cause complete bodily failure in its prey. Fossils have shown that the megalodon would often hunt whale's, in doing so, ripping apart its propulsive structures before killing and feeding on it.
Adaptations: This ferocious shark had and astounding bite force exceeding 182,000 newtons, 10 times stronger than the great white's bite and even 5 times greater than a T. Rex's which made it deadly to all other marine animals. Not only did the megalodon have a much larger mass and bite force than the great white, but it also had the extra sense given by the Ampullae of Lorenzini, which enables them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. With all these adaptations the C. megalodon was without one of the most deadly and ferocious predators ever known to man.
Prehistoric Shark
Introduction:The megalodon, Carcharodon or Carcharocles megalodon, is an extinct mega toothed shark that existed in prehistoric times, approximately 25 to 1.5 million years ago. The megalodon is among the largest and most powerful macro-predatory fishes in vertebrate history. The megalodon is principally known from partially preserved skeletal remains, which indicate a shark of gigantic proportions — approaching a length of around 20.3 metres. Based on significant research, scientists have been able to conclude that the megalodon was a super-predator and preyed upon large marine animals.
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Disputed - Lamnidae or Otodontidae
Genus: Disputed - Carcharodon or Carcharocles
Species: C. megalodon
Binomial Name: Disputed - Carcharodon megalodon or Carcharocles megalodon
Habitat:
The megalodon was a pelagic fish that predominantly inhabited temperate and warm water environments. Back then it has been assumed that waters were generally warmer, therefore the megalodon took residence in all oceans around the world. Smaller kinds of this species were able to lurk in swampy coastal lagoons and shallow coastal waters, although an adult would be just too big and would be restricted to greater depths of the ocean.
Eating Habits:
The megalodon was presumed to be an extremely smart species and had it not been for the excessive cooling stages of the world, it would not have become extinct. The megalodon has been found to have lurked back and trailed its prey, before swimming underneath it and striking upwards, taking it whole. Of course this only worked on smaller preys, but as stated before the megalodon hunted extremely large marine animals. Against larger targets the megalodon would use its sheer power and extraordinary jaw strength and would then ram the opponent and sink its teeth into it. Unlike the great white the megalodon would target the tough bony areas that great whites tried to avoid. By targeting these areas it could then crush the bones and wipe out key organs and cause complete bodily failure in its prey. Fossils have shown that the megalodon would often hunt whale's, in doing so, ripping apart its propulsive structures before killing and feeding on it.
Adaptations:
This ferocious shark had and astounding bite force exceeding 182,000 newtons, 10 times stronger than the great white's bite and even 5 times greater than a T. Rex's which made it deadly to all other marine animals. Not only did the megalodon have a much larger mass and bite force than the great white, but it also had the extra sense given by the Ampullae of Lorenzini, which enables them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. With all these adaptations the C. megalodon was without one of the most deadly and ferocious predators ever known to man.